"Takagi-chan, look! The maids in there are so pretty!"

"I'm looking…" Takagi Sana replied, her tone measured.

"Shouko, want to buy a set and wear it at home for your significant other?" Ayumi grinned mischievously.

"Ayumi, you're so annoying! What do you mean my significant other…"

At a table in the corner, Akira Miyamura kept his head down, quietly eating cake and wishing he could bury his face straight into the plate. Across from him, Nishikata Naoto didn't look much better.

Japan was a big place. Being in Akihabara at the same time as friends from home — understandable.

But Akihabara itself was huge, with countless maid cafés and plenty of normal ones.

So… how had they ended up in the same one?

While Miyamura was still processing the sheer coincidence, Ayumi's next words explained it.

"Didn't I tell you? I found this place after hours of research last night — the highest-rated cat maid café in all of Akihabara!"

Ayumi placed her hands proudly on her hips.

"Alright, alright," Takagi sighed, glancing around as people stared at them thanks to Ayumi's announcement. She quickly pushed Ayumi toward an empty table.

Shouko followed behind, but her gaze drifted toward the far-left corner of the café — where a few customers were seated. Something about it made her pause. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novèlfire.net

"Shouko, let's go."

"Oh, okay." She turned back at Ayumi's urging, deciding it was probably just her imagination.

Nishikata cautiously glanced up, saw the three girls heading in the opposite direction, and whispered to Miyamura — whose head was still lower than his own —

"Miyamura… what do we do?"

Miyamura took a gulp of his cold drink, the chill shooting straight to his brain and clearing his thoughts. "We just finish eating, pay, and leave."

The initial jolt of shock faded. The guilt? Purely the byproduct of coincidence.

After all, Japan wasn't small — and running into someone dozens of kilometers from home, without warning, was about as likely as winning the lottery.

It wasn't like he'd done anything to betray Shouko. And honestly, if not for worrying about hurting Nishikata's image in Takagi's eyes — which could sabotage his possible pursuit plan — Miyamura would have just invited them over to share a table.

…Assuming Nishikata had a pursuit plan.

It's not like Takagi would be the one to notice Nishikata's good points and chase him… right?

"We'll be discovered, won't we?" Nishikata muttered.

"Probably. But if we just sit here waiting, it'll be worse," Miyamura said flatly.

"Then how about… um…" Nishikata trailed off, fidgeting.

Miyamura sighed. "Drink some water and calm down first."

Nishikata obeyed, taking a large gulp before exhaling sharply. "…What if we just go sit with them?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah!"

"Alright then. I'll call Shoko."

Before Nishikata could change his mind, Miyamura pulled out his phone and dialed.

Beep… beep…

After a few seconds, the line connected.

"Hello? Akira? I'm still out with Takagi and Ayumi."

"You haven't ordered yet, right?" Miyamura asked directly.

"Huh?" Shouko blinked, the strange question making her think back to that moment when they'd first entered the café.

Without another word, she gripped her phone, stood abruptly, and started walking toward the corner she'd noticed earlier.

"Shouko, where are you going?!" Ayumi called, immediately getting up to follow.

Takagi also rose, apologizing briefly to the maid before trailing behind them.

The gray-haired cat-eared maid, watching the scene, could only tilt her head in confusion.

"Miyamura…?"

"Perfect timing — I just took a bite. Want to order something?" Miyamura asked casually, shifting the topic.

Shouko blinked, then sat down beside him, eyes filled with surprise and curiosity. "How are you here?"

She didn't question why he'd be in a maid café — that conversation could wait until they were home. For now, she chose to trust him, though she still wanted answers.

"I was bored at home, so I came out with Nishikata," Miyamura explained, offering her a spoonful of cake. "We were just having afternoon tea before heading back… didn't expect to run into you."

"Nishikata's here too?" Shouko accepted the bite, finally noticing the boy sitting opposite.

"Hehe… just pretend I'm invisible," Nishikata said quickly, waving his hands.

Takagi and Ayumi arrived, equally stunned by the coincidence. Takagi's gaze lingered briefly on Nishikata before the three girls squeezed onto the bench with him, leaving Miyamura and Shoko their own space.

After hearing Miyamura's full explanation, they were even more surprised by the odds.

Then the gray-haired maid returned with a pink feather pen and three Master Contract Papers, explaining their purpose to the newcomers.

"Miyamura, what did you put in the signature section?" Shouko asked.

"Just 'Guest.'"

"Really?" she asked, skeptical.

"That's right. Didn't you hear the maid call us 'Guest' and 'Master' earlier?"

At that, all eyes except Miyamura's turned toward Nishikata.

Nishikata wanted to sink through the floor, but he didn't even dare to defend himself.

The girls didn't press the issue, instead focusing on filling out their own forms.

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